NCJ Number
59328
Date Published
1978
Length
100 pages
Annotation
A SUMMARY OF RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN 1977 IN THE FIELD OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IS PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT (NCCAN) GIVING A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF THIS FIELD OF STUDY.
Abstract
THE OVERVIEW IS BASED ON DATA CONTAINED IN NCCAN'S INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE DATA BASE WHICH CONSISTS OF ABSTRACTS OF COMPLETED AND ONGOING RESEARCH STUDIES. THE CLEARINGHOUSE WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER TO COLLECT, PROCESS, AND DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. ABSTRACTS ARE USED AS THE SOLE DATA SOURCE, AND THEREFORE A LARGE BODY OF MATERIAL IS CITED IN A FORMAT WHERE DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES ARE EASILY APPARENT AND WHERE PERTINENT TOPICS ARE CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED. THE MATERIAL WAS CATEGORIZED INTO SUBSTANTIVE AREAS: DEFINITION, INCIDENCE, PSYCHOSOCIAL ECOLOGY, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, AND EFFECTS SEQUELAE. A SUMMARY OF RESEARCH STUDIES RELATED TO THE DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AS WELL AS A SUMMARY OF LEGAL ISSUES AND OPINIONS RELATED TO THIS DEFINITION IS GIVEN. ONE SECTION DEALS WITH INCIDENCE OF CHILD ABUSE AND PROVIDES ESTIMATES OF THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL INCIDENCE OF BOTH ABUSE AND NEGLECT. ONGOING RESEARCH STUDIES EXAMINING INCIDENCE ARE CITED AND SOURCES OF DISCREPANCIES IN THE ESTIMATES GIVEN. INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES, SITUATIONAL FACTORS, ATTITUDES AND VALUES, AND SOCIAL INSTITUTIONAL FACTS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL ECOLOGY OF CHILD ABUSE ARE DISCUSSED, AS ARE THE PRIMARY PREVENTION, SECONDARY PREVENTION, AND THE TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE. FINALLY, THE EFFECTS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT ON THE CHILD ARE DEALT WITH. EACH CHAPTER CONTAINS ANNOTATED LISTS OF RESEARCH STUDIES INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE ONGOING. AN APPENDIX AND EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)